Regeneration strategy and plant diversity status in degraded sal forests

The degraded sal forests of north-eastern Utter Pradesh were observed for t he regeneration strategy of constituent woody perennials and the status of resultant plant diversity. The species showing poor sprouting were much gre ater in number at low disturbance. Conversely, the species showing rich spr outing and ramet formation were much more at high disturbance. The diversit y index ((H) over bar) was always greater when a genet complex was treated as a single individual than in case when each ramet, distinct at soil surfa ce, was treated as a separate individual. The value of H, however, was lowe r at low disturbance. It is a moot point whether the diversity index should be based on the number of genets (biotypes) or superficially distinct shoo ts (including ramets) irrespective of their genetic status. The species lik e Clerodendron infortunatum, Croton oblongifolius, Mallotus philippensis an d Flacourtia indica increased their ramet production with increase in distu rbance level, but recurrent disturbance of high intensity affected ramet pr oliferation quite adversely. Bridelia retusa, Casearia tomentosa and Holarr hena antidysenterica produced comparatively much lesser number of ramets pe r genet, The inter-ramet distances or spacers on root-stock as well as the number of ramets per genet showed significant differences with respect to t he level of disturbance, The age structure and spatial pattern of ramet pop ulation were also correlated with the level of disturbance, In a forest env ironment which is too harsh to allow regeneration through seed, a non-seed regeneration of a group of woody perennials may help maintain the minimal v egetation cover and considerable plant diversity. The non-seed regeneration strategy of prolific ramet producers, therefore, shows a promise to the qu ick recovery of forest ecosystems ravaged by anthropogenic perturbations.